Don’t go heavy on ‘heat and eat’ starters like tikkas and seekh kebab— fish, fowl or paneer—and banish for this one night the packet of bhujiya and chana jor garam. How can the guests appreciate the main course if the addictive junkies have ambushed them? If you insist, we will concede that pita bread gujiya (halves) filled with healthy sprouts, pineapple tidbits, hard- boiled egg whites or spicy soya mince/paneer bhujiya is perfectly acceptable.

The same applies to alcoholic drink. These, too, can kill the appetite and poop the party. If the guests and the host must tipple, hot toddies and fruity punches are preferable. Cocktails and mocktails can enliven the party much more.

Worried that your friends will begin to think that you are the favourite nephew or niece of Uncle Scoorge? Well, we are not asking you to restrict the menu to one dish. All this is being prescribed in the context of labour- saving. Variety—the spice of life—can be ensured without much hassle by including stir-fries, quick and colourful and as exotic as your imagination can make them.

Fusion is the key here and a hint of Thai, a suggestion of Chinese or a whiff of the Greek—anything but the cliched karhai—oops! balti we mean. Try substituting pasta for good old steamed rice—very good quality, imported stuff is now available and can be prepared to perfection following the instructions on the packet in minutes.

The sauce, cooked beforehand, flavoured with dried herbs and the garnishes, creates the magic. Don’t forget the freshly ground pepper drizzled from the pepper mill. Never should it be forgotten that atmospherics are an essential ingredient that make any dish come alive. Take care that you have the soup tureen and the bowls handy as well when filling the pepper mill.

Desserts present perhaps the most dicy challenge. All of us yearn for something sweet at the end of a satisfying meal but shudder at the thought of the out-of-the-tin gulab jamun or gajar ka halwa from the corner shop. No one will appreciate how many backbreaking hours you have spent cooking that divine kheer. They will keep comparing it adversely with what ma or grandma used to feed them, so spare yourself the agony. Instead, mix and match the fresh and the processed, native and the exotic. A hot fruit compote with a spoonful or even a trace of honey, a dollop of malai with half a laddoo of motichoor—heated in a micro of course—served on a bed of hung yogurt or phirnee topped stewed fruits the options are endless.

Finally, to wash all these down a cup of kehwa, masala or fruit or flower chai or filter kapi. None of these nightcap beverages is beyond the novices’ reach. Dip and sip bags are there for the asking—you can add the personal touch with almond slivers, freshly pounded green cardamoms or carefully selected cups. Dry fruit chikky and gajjak leave pralines miles behind in any competition. A rich plum pudding is always welcome and a flambe is guaranteed to provide a spectacular finale to the evening. Come to think of it, a teaspoon and a little more of rum or brandy can redeem even the much maligned gulab jamun!